In Other Words: First day of school means quiet house for parents

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by Stephanie Fellenstein, Hudson Monthly editor

Two years ago, I wrote about standing at the end of my driveway waiting for the bus to take "my baby" to kindergarten. Somehow -- the years sure do fly -- I again find myself standing at the end of the driveway, this time waiting for the bus to take my youngest daughter to kindergarten.

I thought it would be easier the second time around. It's pretty straight forward -- bus arrives, daughter No. 2 gets on, bus goes to school, bus returns, daughter No. 2 gets off.

But it's not that easy. She has been my constant companion, my buddy since the day she was born. We run errands. We play outside. We watch movies. When the bus pulls away, the incessant talking will cease. No one will be asking me for a snack every 10 minutes or to play a game or to find her high heels.

While my first daughter was hesitant about school, this one is ready. She lined up her tennis shoes and soccer cleats, with her fuzzy pink shoes and a pair of "high-heeled" black shoes. While her sister agonized over the perfect book bag, she immediately chose a pink and brown camouflaged back pack which has been ready to go for the past three weeks.

She loved preschool -- her friends, stories, her teachers and all the learning activities disguised as new adventures.

"Do I have school today?" she would ask each morning.

"No, but tomorrow you do," I'd reply.

The next morning, she would wake up and ask again, "Do I have school today?"

"Yup," I'd reply.

"Is today tomorrow?" she would answer.

Well my friend, tomorrow is finally here.

You will head out on your own. You will ride a new bus to your new school. You'll meet new friends and learn new things.

Try to remember what you've learned so far: Capitalize the first letter of your name, lowercase the rest. Everyone's opinion matters. You may not agree, but you still need to be respectful. Listen. Take turns. The dog does not like having his ears squeezed into pony tail holders. Have fun. Your family loves you no matter what. And most importantly, I'll be waiting for you when you come home.

The silence will seem endless that first day. But ask me again in a couple weeks. I may actually enjoy some silence. And when the bus pulls up at the end of the day, I'll be ready to listen to stories about new friends and new adventures. We'll worry about other tomorrows later.

E-mail: sfellenstein@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3163